Best Local Affordable Dining

—Every Penny Counts.

1 Del Charro Saloon101 W. Alameda St.
505-954-0320
Santa Fe—you are not a cheap date. But with a little luck and perseverance, it’s possible to find inexpensive food and drinks, even near the Plaza.

Because Del Charro doesn’t seem like a hotel restaurant, it’s easy to forget it’s attached to the Inn of the Governors. The saloon has a loyal following among downtown office workers and late-night partiers; it’s open and serving food and drinks from lunch until midnight (11 pm on Sunday). The menu is short and sweet and rarely changes. Some of you probably know it by heart. There’s the burger, the stuffed poblano that comes with a big puddle of creamy chipotle sauce, the nachos, the quesadillas. This is food that’s satisfying at lunch or when you’ve already had too many margaritas and need to sit down and sober up a little.

Best of all, everything costs $5, $6, $7, meaning that if you haven’t already had a drink, you might as well order one of those margaritas that comes with its own cocktail shaker.